After the 9/11 attacks, conservatives and neoconservatives were ready to throw out every amendment to the Constitution except the Second. They wanted the government to protect them from al Qaeda. They believed Islamic terrorists had infiltrated the U.S., were hiding behind every rock, and the right-wingers wanted all Muslims put away or killed. Of course, people of reason knew this panic was unreasonable, but the Bush/Cheney administration and the hawks in Congress understood it was important to strike while the iron was hot. To the thrill of the right-wingers, a month-and-a-half after 9/11/01 Americans were given the protection of the Patriot Act, and all that came with it. Now, Wisconsin Representative, Republican James Sensenbrenner is "appalled and angry" to hear of the NSAs extreme level of surveillance both here in the U.S. and abroad. Sensenbrenner, one of the strongest advocates for giving this intrusive authority to the NSA is appalled and angry? Sure he is. Talk about trying to save ones own political a$$. This kind of naivete is expected of the right-wingers, but from a 35 year member of Congress? Not likely. People of reason knew this kind of crap would happen when the Patriot Act was proposed; and while many in government can claim ignorance to the extent the NSA pushed their surveillance, none of them can claim they are surprised (or appalled) upon this revelation. Those of us that protested the Patriot Act from the beginning warned and warned of this abuse; and we are sure as hell NOT surprised it hapened. Turns out, we were NOT the traitors the right wing claimed. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated issue. Experience and history proves the conservatives and neoconservatives have never had a workable solution for any problem this country comes up against. Face it, the reactionary right is always wrong. http://news.yahoo.com/us-spying-prompts-reversal-anti-terror-lawmaker-071415170--politics.html
Turns out namby pamby Democrats must be pretty dumb and naive as well according to your logic. http://educate-yourself.org/cn/patriotact20012006senatevote.shtml And wasn't it just recently extended during this regime as well?
You mean the NSA spying that the repubs voted against and the democrats voted for? Surely not that one.
http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/113/house/1/412 - - - Updated - - - Maybe you forgot who voted to keep spying on Americans.
That link say that someone other than Bush initiated it?? To further clarify, Bush WAS President and leader of the right wing, was he not? Joint effort, wouldn't you say???
Uhhhh no. The link is to a vote earlier this year where the primary supporters of continuing to spy on Americans were democrats.
Oh...so the right wing and their exalted leader, DID initiate the Patriot Act then. That's what I thought. - - - Updated - - - I think you have forgotten who initiated it.
Okay. Bush was a moron and initiated it along with the rest of the dumbass republicans and democrats who supported it. Now do you have the ability to drop your partisan attitude and admit Obama and his democrat cronies are in the wrong for continuing those policies? See unlike the OP I am not trying to say one party has no fault.
Absolutely...so long as you quit inferring Obama is doing something vaslty different than the right wing and their cronies did. I think I can accept that.
That's funny cause you sure weren't looking to do that with the OP. Didn't seem to have a problem with him throwing one party under the bus and completely absolving the other.
Not that the RW is always wrong, but the PA was the biggest piece of crap laid on the american people to intrude into privacy. But they were the loudest cheeleaders of this gov't intrusion. So much for small gov't. - - - Updated - - - It was, much to the dismay of real americans. Shows ya just how much the 2 parties really are about control. And the more they know about us the more they can control us.
You can find fault in yourself but I was simply trying to combat the utter hypocrisy of the OPs post.
I try often to do the same thing in highlighting hypocrisy. I know, the fault would have to be mine. I didn't think you were suggesting otherwise.
The problem is not the party. The problems are the progressives or as they used to be called socialists and communists.
Saying the US should give up its surveillance tactics is like saying it should give up its tanks, or nukes. It's not going to happen. What strategy to you guys want for NSA surveillance? Total dismantling? Or just dial it back a bit, suck at their jobs for a while, until one day we need them to not suck anymore? Reasonable people...lol. Y'all do realize that if the US can do it, other nations in the future can do it, right?